Real Engagement

Rustic Shopping in Style: Rob & Todd’s Engagement Session

Rob and Todd met online after both had been on a dating site for less than one month. They had each dated other guys, but were “spinning their wheels”. Todd sent Rob a message including “you see like my kind of guy”. Rob was struck by Todd’s good looks and fascinating profile. The two messaged all evening and around 24 hours later agreed to meet over beers after work. They talked for 4 hours before realizing that they hadn’t even eaten dinner. It was a great first date followed by several more that week!

During a week in the Northeast, driving around Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine during fall foliage season, Todd booked a small cabin on the outskirts of Acadia National Park. While Rob made dinner, Todd lit the entire porch up with candles, decorated it with logs, twigs, leaves, and pine combs, and strategically placed a small wooden box in the center of the décor with the words “Marry Me?” burnt into the top. He got down on one knee and asked the big question.

Rob shared the surprise ending to Todd’s proposal: “I was understandably shaking, grinning, laughing, and full of joy all at the same time. Of course I said yes! It was very memorable and sweet and I could not have asked for a better proposal. But, little did Todd know, I also had a ring in my luggage for him! I had planned on proposing to him inside the national park the following day along one of the trails. But since the moment was already alive, I didn’t want to waste any time.”

After dinner, while Todd was unpacking his luggage, Rob tried to arrange the candles quickly to say “Marry Me,” but with no luck. When Todd came looking for him, he quickly grabbed a candle and ran down the stairs. He called out to Todd to come see what he had found. When Todd got there, Rob was on his knee looking up at him with a ring and his own proposal. Both were shocked and delighted with their surprise proposals.

Their photographer dreamt up the setting and theme for their engagement shoot. He thought the contrast of these two rustic grooms would be perfect for his friend’s high-end men’s fashion shop. The photographer hired a bartender to add even more life to the shoot, and the whole group had a great time shooting, shopping, and laughing together.